Paddle



19240 I v 16, w. ABRAHAM A PADDLE filed June 11 192s Qwuenloz:

Patented Get. 21, 1924.

enonen WILLIAM ABRAHAM, or nntrnoir, iviionraan.

PADDLE."

Application med June 11, 1922. Serial No. 644,563.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that I, Gnoncn WILLIAM:

ABRAHAM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eaddles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

10 This invention relates to a paddle for use with canoes or small boats. It consist-s essentially of a paddle blade of the type ordinarily used for canoe paddles, the blade being provided with a handle having a hand-grip of the type usual with canoe paddles, and the blade having at a consider able distance fro-m its outer end an opening within which is mounted a small propeller, the shaft of which extends axially of the handle to an electric motor, the casing of which forms a portion of the handle.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a paddle of light weight capable of all the uses of an ordinary canoe paddle, but

having in addition a propeller of such small size as to be capable of operation by a light weight motor of a type suitable for use with an ordinary storage battery of small size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor driven propeller for use with canoes in streams or the'lagoons of parks or other places where the use of gas engines is prohibited.

Other and further objects will appear in connection with the description of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of the paddle showing the connection of its motor with a storage battery, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation on ant enlarged scale.

In many parks having inclosed lagoons or other waterways, on which canoeing is pee mitted, regulations have been made prohibiting the use of internal combustion motors either for boats provided with the ordinary screw propeller or for boats having the socalled outboard motors. The paddle herein illustrated is designed to overcome the objections which have caused such regulations to be issued.

The blade 1 is preferably of wood and made in any preferred shape suitable for use With a canoe. A handle portion 2 preferably integral with the blade has secured at the end remotefrom the blade 1 a tubular portion 3 of the casings of an electric motor. A second tubular portion in line with the portion 3 has secured therein the grip memher 6 which may have any shape suitable for use "with a canoe paddle.

'An' electric motor 7 within the casing 4: has a shaft 8 extending therefrom through a bore formed axially" of the handle per tion 2 and of the inner end of the blade 1, the end of the shaft terminating centrally of an opening 9 within the blade, and having secured upon its end a propeller 10. The opening 9 is at a point far enough away from the outer end of the blade to permit free use of the paddle when the motor is not in operation, but when it is desired to use the propeller the blade will be submerged to a point at which the propeller is entirely beneath the surface of the water and the motor may then be driven to cause rotation of the shaft Sand of the propeller 10. The paddle will be held by the occupant of the canoe with the blade portion projecting toward the rear so. that the unobstructed por- I tion beyond the propeller will serve as a rudder by which the course of the canoe may readily be directed. The motor 7 will be of a type small enough to be driven economically by a storage battery 11 of the type in common use in automobiles, which has a standard current strength of about siX volts. The propeller blade 10 will preferably be of a metal not subject to corrosion, ac and for ordinary use, its extreme length need not exceed three inches.

A propeller of the size indicated will be larger in proportion to the size of a canoe and the weight carried thereby, than is the '95 propeller of an ordinary steamship in proportion to the size of the vessel with whichit is to be used and the cargo customarily carried by such a vessel.

It will be evident from the foregoing de- 1 00 seription hat the device can be produced at a low costand that the expense of operation will be small. The motor is light and completely inclosed within the casing so that it cannot do any bodily harm to the user 1 while it is in operation. Furthermore, the device is substantially noiseless, even when operating at full speed. With the casing 4 constructed of alumimun, the additional weight, due to the use of the propeller with 11 its shaft and motor, is only a little greater than that of an ordinary paddle, while its adaptation for multiduty purposes renders it much more desirable than the ordinary paddle.

It will be obvious that many changes in size, proportion and specific details of construction of the parts may be made Without departing from the principle of my invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. I Wish therefore to claim my invention broadly Within the full and legitimate scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A paddle particularly adapted for the paddling of canoes having a blade, a handle and an intermediate :grip member, said grip member being tubular and said blade provided With an opening remote from the end thereof and adjacent the tubular grip membar, a motor lmusing located between and connected to opposed ends of said handle H and said grip member, an electrlc motor of said -sl1aft Within said opening, the ar rangementof parts being such that said motor is situated intermediate the hands of a person grasping said paddle as and for the purpose as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature :in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE WILLIAM ABRAHAM. lVitnesses:

ARTHUR MINNIOK, G. L. TERNA. 

